Developpes?

Hello! I’m pretty much a beginner (and by pretty much, I mean I am haha) I’ve been dancing for 3 years, but this is really the first year I’ve been in a real class. I was just wondering if there is anything I can do to strengthen developpes because mine are extremely sloppy and I also can’t get them as high as they need to be, and I can’t hold them. Is there something I can do to strengthen my leg muscles? Any tips at all would be amazing! I love this move, I just want to get it right!! Thankyou for your help!

January 20, 2007 | In Questions | 6 Comments

6 Comments »

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  1. You need to pay attention not only to the leg that is devloppe-ing. Your standing leg is going to give you the stability to get your extension higher and with better placement. Make sure all your weight is over the ball of the foot of your supporting leg, and that the leg is not the slightest bit bent or loose at the knee. Do a clean passe with your working leg, knee back, heel forward, foot not sickled. As you developpe out, root yourself in the floor with your standing leg and allow your heel to lead, keep both legs turned out from your hips, pull your weight out of your hips, pull your lower stomach in towards your spine and press your shoulder blades down. That will give your body stability. Again, as you extend the leg, don’t let your standing leg bend.

    Don’t grip the top thigh muscles (quadriceps) of the working leg. Stretch the leg fully along your hamstrings, point your feet and lengthen all your working leg muscles without letting your working hip go forwards (or sideways). Practice at 45 degrees if you can’t get it high at first, get your placement properly.

    To develop strength to extend higher: Put one leg on the barre, to start with facing the barre, get your body fairly close to the barre and make sure again your weight is over the ball of the foot of the standing leg, not somewhere in the middle. Make sure your working leg is properly turned out, heel resting on the barre, toes pointed. Do a demi plie, and feel a stretch in your hamstring of the leg on the barre, repeat 3 or 4 times, going deeper each time and check to make sure your weight hasn’t shifted off the front of the supporting foot. Then straighten your supporting leg, press down on the barre with your working leg as hard as you can to engage the muscles of the working leg, and then lift the working leg off the barre and hold it. Even if you lift it one inch it will help get it stronger, eventually your leg will start lifting several inches up and you will be able to hold it there.

    The same thing can be repeated for devant. For arabesque, you have to again make sure your body weight is forward so that you don’t impede your ability to lift your leg behind your, pull your chest up, shoulder blades down, don’t tilt your shoulders. From passe, open your leg directly behind you, opening your knee to the side as you developpe, and make sure your top thigh muscles of the working leg are not rotated down towards the floor (turned in).

    You can do the same plie exercise if you put your leg up on the barre behind you, might be a bit difficult if your barre is too high at first, maybe find a stable piece of furniture that is more or less at 45 degrees. Hope this helps, it is a very effective exercise, a bit difficult to explain with words rather than showing!!

    Comment by Zoe — January 22, 2007 #

  2. Plies can help strengthen this area which in turn will help the lifting part. Keep a strong centre and think about what you’re doing and what muscles you need to use. Practice is the key to a good movement.

    Comment by Ashley — January 23, 2007 #

  3. Practise them over and over, develope and hold for as long as you can, then repeat trying to hold for longer each time, always check that you have your leg in the right position and turned out.
    You can also use ankle weights when doing developpes to strengthen your legs.
    For height you need to be strong, but you also need to have the flexiability, so work on your splits and stretches.

    Abbie

    Comment by Abbie — January 23, 2007 #

  4. if you find yourself forgetting what your teacher just showed then try this little trick.
    let’s just say your on your to the mall or somthing like that then try to looking at a sign read it once or twice then look away then try to think what it said without looking at what the sign said then look back and see if you got what it right or wrong. that should help you remmber what the teacher said.
    hope i helped

    Comment by Nancy — February 1, 2007 #

  5. Do not worry…I have the same problem and I have been danceing for 7 years I can get my developpe dariear almost into a ponche and my one in devant about 90 degrees…but my developpe alasecond only to 45 degrees. I have found that going to the gym and doing the machiens whear you put your legs on the inside of the machien and try to push them in and the one that lets you push them out work really well

    Comment by Haylee — February 5, 2007 #

  6. Hi,

    Just my 2 cts worth…

    Yesterday we had a change of class schedule and had a 1hr pilates before 1.5 hr classical.
    Normally we just have the classical.

    And I found it very helpful indeed!
    It seems like my body ‘remembered’ the correct allignment of the pilates and it was easier to hold positions and my placement was a bit better afterwards.

    So if your school offers them, pilates exercises might be helpful.

    Comment by Kaat — February 6, 2007 #

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